Personality:
- Quiet, gentle, and passive.
- Playful as kittens, becoming more reserved as they mature.
- Make excellent companions for people and other pets.
History:
Breed is the result of efforts in the 1930′s to cross Siamese with Persians in order to understand the inheritance of the Siamese color-point gene. Offspring were bred back to Persians to keep the Persian look while maintaining the color points. Named after the Himalayan rabbit, which has the same color point pattern. Today, Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) considers this breed a division of the Persian breed. The International Cat Association (TICA) considers Himalayans as a separate breed.
Body Type:
- Short, well-rounded, cobby body is supported by thick, short legs.
- Head is massive and round with small, round-tipped ears.
- Blue eyes are large and round.
Coat:
- Coat is long, thick, and flowing.
- Body coat is a lighter color with contrasting color points on face, ears, paws, and tail. Needs daily grooming.
- Colors include seal point, chocolate point, blue point, lilac point, flame point, cream point, tortie point, chocolate-tortie point, blue- cream point, lilac-cream point, and lynx point.
Health and Wellness:
- Some lines have problems with hip dysplasia, a malformation of the hip joint that can cause lameness.
- Some lines have indicated problems with cardiomyopathy, a defect of the heart muscle that can lead to heart failure.
- More extreme types (cats with radically flat faces) may have breathing problems, misaligned teeth, tear duct blockage or mouths too small to support a full set of teeth.
- Other problems include intolerance of heat and an increased tendency towards dermatitis (skin inflammation).
What you should know:
- Nicknamed Himmies by cat fanciers.
- Often mistaken for a longhaired Siamese or Balinese.
